Tender Touch Veterinary Hospital
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  • Home
  • About Us
    • Meet Our Team
    • Services
    • Products
    • Vaccinations
    • Testimonials
    • Employment - Veterinary Technician
  • Client Care Center
    • Pittsburgh Emergency Vets
    • Online Pharmacy
    • Hill's to Home Delivery
    • Request Appointment
    • New Client Registration
    • View Your Pet's Records
    • Senior Pet Questionnaire
  • Connect
    • Blog
    • Pet Memorials
    • Feature Your Pet!
    • Social Media Feed
    • Refer A Friend
  • Links
  • Contact

What is a Dental Prophylaxis, anyway?

1/24/2020

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Your pet's oral health is about more than fresh breath! Advanced dental disease can cause illness elsewhere in the body as bacteria enters the bloodstream through inflamed gums. This can cause infection in the kidneys, liver - even the heart!

Dental disease is also painful. As tartar builds up, the gums become red and irritated. Tartar buildup creeps below the gumline, eventually eating away at the structures that secure the teeth. A loose tooth is a painful tooth!

What is a dental prophylaxis?

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A dental prophylaxis (or dental cleaning) is the only way to thoroughly remove tartar buildup from all of your pet's teeth and allow for a "clean slate" to provide at-home oral care & maintenance (and hopefully prevent the need for future anesthetic procedures)

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For your pet's safety and to ensure a thorough cleaning, this procedure must be performed under general anesthesia. Precautions are taken to optimize safety, such as pre-anesthetic bloodwork, EKG & radiographs of the chest to detect abnormalities that may affect your pet's ability to handle anesthesia. All pets are monitored both manually and with electronic biometric equipment throughout anesthesia.

Once under sedation, we use an ultrasonic cleaner to remove all traces of tartar that has accumulated on the surfaces of the teeth, as well as the calculus that we cannot see below the gumline.


We use a special probing instrument to measure the gingival depth surrounding each tooth. This helps us locate pockets of bone loss that may identify a diseased tooth that otherwise appears healthy to the naked eye.

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In addition to physical measurement, we use dental radiography to locate signs of disease.

Look at tooth #105 in this photo. To view it from the outside, it looks perfectly normal - but the dark shadows around the root in the dental x-ray reveal bone loss all around. This is a diseased tooth that will cause pain and discomfort very soon if not extracted.

We ask for pre-authorization for extractions when you drop your pet off for his procedure. Our goal is to minimize anesthetic time, and don't want to extend it if we're unable to reach you by phone.

Know that we only perform extractions if absolutely necessary (i.e. the tooth is or will soon be causing pain to your pet). The veterinarian will use local anesthetic injections prior to extracting diseased teeth, and post-operative laser therapy is performed afterwards to minimize inflammation and jump-start the healing process.

Can't I just brush my pet's teeth?

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YES, we strongly encourage everyone to include daily toothbrushing in their pet's routine. However, brushing alone is not enough to remove tartar that has already hardened on the teeth. It's as tough as cement, and adheres so strongly to the surface of the tooth that it must be removed manually with an ultrasonic cleaner.

After we've removed all the calculus, we polish your pet's teeth with a fluoride toothpaste (using a prophy cup just like at your dentist). This smooths out any microscopic scratches from the cleaning and provides a clean surface for you to start at-home oral maintenance.

How much does it cost?

Because every case is unique, we will provide a written treatment plan with an estimated range at the time of recommendation. The size of your pet and the severity of dental disease are the primary reasons for variation.

February is National Dental Health Month - check out our special offers here!
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Recognizing Heat Stroke in Dogs

6/28/2018

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Summer is in full swing, with a steady stream of 90+ degree days in the forecast all around Pittsburgh. As the temperatures rise, keep a close eye on your dog - heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke and put your best friend's life at risk!

The best defense against overheating is an educated pet owner, so we're here to teach you the signs to look for and first aid steps to take in a heat emergency (on your way to the vet).

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Never Forget to Renew Your Dog License Again!

1/2/2018

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It's January, and dog license renewals are due. With all the holiday hustle bustle, it's easy to forget to write and mail that check, isn't it? What if we told you there's a way to never have to remember to renew your dog's license again?

Pennsylvania State Law requires all dogs over 12 weeks of age to be licensed (they do routine door-to-door visits to check compliance, too - violators are fined $300 per unlicensed dog). A standard license is renewed annually, and is valid from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. However, microchipped dogs are eligible for a Lifetime Dog License - pay once, and never worry about it again!

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Don't serve Pancreatitis for Thanksgiving Dinner!

11/6/2017

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Image Source: Canna-Pet
Thanksgiving is a time of joy; families gather together and feast on turkey, ham, stuffing, potatoes, and pie...YUM!

No matter how hard it is, don't give in to those sad puppy eyes at the edge of the table. The day after Thanksgiving is often known in the veterinary world as "Pancreatitis Friday" - a day full of dogs that can't stop vomiting, and come in hunched over with extremely painful abdomens!

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Martingale Collars - not just for Greyhounds!

9/14/2017

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Martingale CollarImage Credit: Lupine Pet
Call them what you will: escape artists, "Houdini hounds," wiggle worms...some dogs are masters of slipping their collars. Too many people resort to choke or prong collars, not realizing the potential for injury.

​There is a better solution to safely keep your pup on the end of your leash - the martingale collar!


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151 Wexford-Bayne Rd Wexford, PA 15090
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